This year, the Contest focuses on the impact that our paper usage has on climate change and how that relates to the decline of Red Pandas. The goal of the Contest is to demonstrate a measurable decrease of the amount of paper used at home, at school, or in the community by changing our behaviors and committing to reduce the amount of junk mail we receive.
The contest is judged at four grade levels (K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12).
Submissions will be judged based on four criteria:
Creativity—project creativity and presentation creativity judged equally
Originality—project originality and presentation originality judged equally
Scale (scope of influence)
Project Impact (measurable results)
The project should be student-centered, student-driven, and student-executed. Students should take the lead toward including their families, school, and the community to Reduce for Red Pandas.
ll projects MUST include a campaign to reduce junk mail. This campaign will direct participants to the Philadelphia Zoo’s website and instruct them to gothrough the following steps:1) Participants visit the Philadelphia Zoo’s website at (URL)2) Participants input their email address, the name of the school orteacher they are associated with, and a few other pieces of information3) They will receive an email from the Philadelphia Zoo asking them toopt-in to receiving future messaging, as well as an email giving theminstructions on how to reduce junk mail4) Participants will reduce their junk mail by signing up with a registrythat removes their name from junk mail lists (similar to the Do Not CallRegistry)Projects must include a positive advocacy campaign.Projects must be student-driven and all or most of the campaign materialsshould be created by students.There must be measureable results.
The project should inspire others to become change agents in the community.
Required Elements:1) establish a clear goal regardingreducing paper 2) design anengagement campaign to promoteReduce for Red Pandas 3) sharethe engagement campaign withothers 4) campaign focuses onreducing paper to save animals
Contest Timeline
October 1, 2015
Applications open
November 13, 2015
Application deadline
December 18, 2015
Mid-term progress report deadline
February 29, 2016
Final applications due
What is the UNLESS Contest?
The Albert M. Greenfield UNLESS Contest creates awareness that inspires solutions and actions to impact the future of wildlife. Over the past four years the Zoo has engaged more than 10,000 schoolchildren from more than 200 schools in the Delaware Valley region as part of this initiative. Together with these students, the Zoo has worked to address two key conservation issues – habitat destruction related to palm oil production and climate change. During the open application process, participating classes provide the Zoo with an initial project proposal. Following the application process and over the course of their project, participating classes have the opportunity to visit the Zoo for a class and participate in a virtual class to learn about this conservation topic and how it impacts wildlife. Directly in line with common core standards, participating students will have the opportunity to think critically about a real-world issue that is impacting a number of wild animals. Final project reports are reviewed by a panel of independent judges who choose the awardees. The student-made advocacy campaigns from years prior have impacted between 2 to 4 million people each year.
This year, the Contest focuses on the impact that our paper usage has on climate change and how that relates to the decline of Red Pandas. The goal of the Contest is to demonstrate a measurable decrease of the amount of paper used at home, at school, or in the community by changing our behaviors and committing to reduce the amount of junk mail we receive.
UNLESS project sponsored by the Philadelphia Zoo
Reduce for Red Pandas
This year, the Contest focuses on the impact that our paper usage has on climate change and how that relates to the decline of Red Pandas. The goal of the Contest is to demonstrate a measurable decrease of the amount of paper used at home, at school, or in the community by changing our behaviors and committing to reduce the amount of junk mail we receive.The contest is judged at four grade levels (K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12).
Submissions will be judged based on four criteria:
- Creativity—project creativity and presentation creativity judged equally
- Originality—project originality and presentation originality judged equally
- Scale (scope of influence)
- Project Impact (measurable results)
The project should be student-centered, student-driven, and student-executed. Students should take the lead toward including their families, school, and the community to Reduce for Red Pandas.ll projects MUST include a campaign to reduce junk mail. This campaign will
direct participants to the Philadelphia Zoo’s website and instruct them to gothrough the following steps:1) Participants visit the Philadelphia Zoo’s website at (URL)2) Participants input their email address, the name of the school orteacher they are associated with, and a few other pieces of information3) They will receive an email from the Philadelphia Zoo asking them toopt-in to receiving future messaging, as well as an email giving theminstructions on how to reduce junk mail4) Participants will reduce their junk mail by signing up with a registrythat removes their name from junk mail lists (similar to the Do Not CallRegistry)Projects must include a positive advocacy campaign.Projects must be student-driven and all or most of the campaign materialsshould be created by students.There must be measureable results.
The project should inspire others to become change agents in the community.
Required Elements:1) establish a clear goal regardingreducing paper 2) design anengagement campaign to promoteReduce for Red Pandas 3) sharethe engagement campaign withothers 4) campaign focuses onreducing paper to save animals
Contest Timeline
What is the UNLESS Contest?
The Albert M. Greenfield UNLESS Contest creates awareness that inspires solutions and actions to impact the future of wildlife. Over the past four years the Zoo has engaged more than 10,000 schoolchildren from more than 200 schools in the Delaware Valley region as part of this initiative. Together with these students, the Zoo has worked to address two key conservation issues – habitat destruction related to palm oil production and climate change. During the open application process, participating classes provide the Zoo with an initial project proposal. Following the application process and over the course of their project, participating classes have the opportunity to visit the Zoo for a class and participate in a virtual class to learn about this conservation topic and how it impacts wildlife. Directly in line with common core standards, participating students will have the opportunity to think critically about a real-world issue that is impacting a number of wild animals. Final project reports are reviewed by a panel of independent judges who choose the awardees. The student-made advocacy campaigns from years prior have impacted between 2 to 4 million people each year.This year, the Contest focuses on the impact that our paper usage has on climate change and how that relates to the decline of Red Pandas. The goal of the Contest is to demonstrate a measurable decrease of the amount of paper used at home, at school, or in the community by changing our behaviors and committing to reduce the amount of junk mail we receive.